Birmingham Stallions wide receiver Deon Cain is “definitely glad” the United Football League is using the USFL kickoff rules instead of the XFL’s.

When the USFL and XFL merged after their 2023 seasons to form the UFL for 2024, the new league needed to decide which rulebook to use. The United Football League ended up with some rules from the USFL and some from the XFL.

On kickoffs in the XFL, the opposing players lined up 5 yards from each other while waiting for the returner to catch the football somewhere between the 20-yard line and goal line.

The United Football League kickoff will look much like a traditional kickoff, except the kick will come from the 20-yard line.

The USFL had five touchdowns on kickoff returns last season. The XFL had one.

“I feel that brings excitement to the game,” Cain said, “and also for film-wise, it’ll help a lot of guys in the special-teams areas, just kind of help them with the league because that will be more film for them to watch, so I’m definitely grateful for the opportunity, for them to pass that.”

Last season, Cain returned the opening kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown in Birmingham’s 45-31 loss to the New Orleans Breakers on April 29, then returned a kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown in the Stallions’ 24-20 victory over the Pittsburgh Maulers in the next game on May 7.

The United Football League is keeping the XFL’s point-after touchdown rules – no kicks, with scrimmage attempts for one point from the 2-yard line, two points from the 5-yard line and three points from the 10-yard line – and overtime process – best-of-three 2-point conversions from the 5-yard line.

Receivers will need two feet inbounds for a catch, as in the USFL, and the new league sort of split the difference on the onside-kick alternative, with a team tied or trailing in the fourth quarter able to take a fourth-and-12 snap from its 28-yard line.

Choosing between rules probably was a snap compared to the decisions that will be made in training camps this month as the new league prepares to kick off its inaugural season on March 30. The merger eliminated four teams from both the USFL and XFL, doubling the competition for spring-football roster spots in the United Football League.

Cain said “talent-wise the competition now has definitely impacted us,” but he said Birmingham had plenty of talent to start with after winning the two USFL championships.

“To be honest, the Stallions have always been loaded,” Cain said. “Not going to be biased, we had a lot of talented guys last year as well. But obviously with the merger it cut down a lot of people so a lot of people who have names, the bigger names – but we had some low-key guys on our team last year that just haven’t been known or that haven’t been at those big schools.

“But now this year, you’re going to have a lot of guys that have NFL experience or just went to those big schools or camp, years of experience in the league, so that’s probably the biggest difference. But talent-wise, I definitely think last year and this year, everyone’s really competing, and I like how this year you’re going to have some guys who have that swag to them.”

The Stallions will play in the UFL’s inaugural game against the Arlington Renegades at noon CDT March 30. The game matches the USFL and XFL champions from last year.

Cain won the MVP Award for the 2023 USFL Championship Game as he caught three touchdown passes in the Stallions’ 28-12 victory over the Pittsburgh Maulers.

“It’s really just ball at the end of the day,” Cain said of the 2024 opener. “We’re excited for the opportunity to go against the champs and stand firm on us representing the USFL and them representing the XFL. …

“Let it be known in this league that Birmingham is here to stay, too.”

When the USFL began in 2022, all eight teams were based in Birmingham, where the entire 40-game regular-season schedule was played. In 2023, the Stallions and Breakers practiced and played their home games in Birmingham.

The UFL teams train in Arlington, Texas, but they’ll play true home games, which will bring the Stallions to Birmingham five times. The Stallions’ home opener is set for 6 p.m. April 13, when Birmingham will take on the Memphis Showboats at Protective Stadium.

“Man, I’m so ready for the experience, to get back to Protective Stadium,” Cain said. “I definitely felt like last year, my first year being in the USFL, I definitely felt like Birmingham was a great turnout every home game we had. Or even if we traveled, they definitely traveled pretty well. So I’m definitely excited to get back.”

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.